A report by the Movement to Combat Online Antisemitism shows that during the first month of the Iron Sword War (between October 7 and November 7, 2023), the organization monitored and reported three times as many antisemitic content as in the same period last year.
Two days before Christmas: Pro-Palestinian demonstration on London's Oxford's Street // Social networks
A total of 34,182 anti-Semitic, anti-Israeli content, content expressing support for the Hamas terrorist organization, encouraging violence against the Jewish people, and false information about the war and denials of the massacre carried out by Hamas were monitored.
The monitoring activity is carried out in combination with an advanced and unique AI system for content collection, developed by the movement in cooperation with the Israeli high-tech company FINAL and the volunteer movement of the Israeli high-tech code for Israel.
May lead to substantial harm to human life
Since November, the number of antisemitic content on social media has continued to rise, which will lead to real harm to human life in Jewish and Israeli communities around the world. At the same time, in recent months, the movement's cooperation with the leading networks has strengthened and led to an increase in removal rates - 26% compared to 20% in 2022 (as of November 2023).
Thousands march in Berlin, the capital of Germany, in support of Hamas // Photo: Reuters
The said content was monitored on nine different social platforms. The most antisemitic network was Network X (56%, 19,240 content), Facebook (21%, 7,262 content), Instagram (13%, 4,520 content) and TikTok (8%, 2,862 content), YouTube (2%, 478 content).
Content was monitored in 8 languages, mostly in English (47%), Russian (27%), French (12%) and Arabic (9.5%). Content in Turkish, Polish, Serbian and German accounted for 4.5% of all reported content.
The amount of antisemitic content monitored by the social media movement since the beginning of the war is three times the amount monitored in the same period last year.
The Awakening of Anti-Semitism
The average takedown rate of antisemitic content reported by the movement during the first month of the war on various networks is 26%, compared to an average of 20% in 2022. The highest unsubscribe rates were recorded on Facebook (35%), Network X (about 28%), Instagram (27%), YouTube (27%) and TikTok (24%).
Antisemitic graffiti on the university campus, photo: Reuters
Since the movement is officially recognized as a reliable source for monitoring and reporting content ('trusted flaggers') by these platforms, it can directly report content that violates social community standards. As a result, reports sent by the movement receive a quick response, and the percentage of removal of content reported directly by the association is higher compared to reports by network users.
Racheli Baratz Rix, head of the Department for Combating Antisemitism and a board member of the World Zionist Organization, said: "With the outbreak of an iron sword war, we see with high intensity the awakening of anti-Semitism, which is characterized by anti-Zionism and clear anti-Israelism."
Alarming escalation
She added: "I see a worrying escalation in the rhetoric on social media and in various antisemitic incidents. As antisemitic ideologies continue to exist around the world, spaces are created where hatred based on religious or ethnic identity becomes normative."
Antisemitic posts, photo: none
"Today Israel faces a brutal fighting front of murderers who are trying to destroy its identity, values and principles, while at the same time there is another front against Jews all over the world who are persecuted for being Jewish."
The movement's executive director, Tomer Aldoubi, said that the sharp rise in anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel online should worry us all.
"We must not underestimate its impact on the security of Jewish and Israeli communities around the world. It is only a matter of time before those who post anti-Semitic hatred online take a knife or a gun and attack Jews and Israelis in the public sphere."
"Alongside the alarming rise on the Internet, we must welcome the extraordinary collaboration between the movement and social networks, including TikTok, Twitter, YouTube and Meta, which has expanded significantly since the outbreak of the war. This has led to a significant increase in the takedown rate and we are confident that the removal of content by traffic will continue consistently in the coming months."
Posts on Facebook by charitable organizations defined by Israel as supporting Hamas, photo: from Facebook
Since the beginning of the war, more than 3,000 volunteers from the United States, Latin America, Australia, Europe and Canada have taken part in more than 60 workshops run by the Movement to Combat Online Antisemitism in cooperation with the World Zionist Organization.
The workshops were conducted in Hebrew, English and Spanish and provided practical tools for removing antisemitic content on social media and creating pro-Israel content online, with an emphasis on TikTok and Instagram.
In the coming month, the organization and the World Zionist Organization are expected to open new programs for the training and education of young German and French speakers from all over the world – Jews and non-Jews alike.
"There is a need for institutionalized struggle"
The committee also presented a report by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, which examined prominent antisemitic incidents and expressions around the world, and found that in the United States, more than 400 Jewish institutions received false bomb threats via email, an increase of 540% compared to 2022.
MK Oded Forer, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
In Canada, the number of antisemitic incidents in Toronto has increased by 211% since the start of the war. The UK has seen a 162% increase in antisemitic offences in London in 2023. Anonymous: The number of requests to immigrate to Israel increased by 430%. In South Africa, the government has declared that citizens who enlist in the IDF may be subject to prosecution in the country. In Australia, the number of antisemitic incidents in October and November increased by 738% compared to the same period last year.
MK Oded Forer, Chairman of the Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Committee, said: "We deal extensively with the alarming rise in anti-Semitism around the world, especially since the outbreak of the war here in Israel. This harms Israel's national security. The fight against anti-Semitism is Sisyphean and we must not despair. Only 20% of antisemitic incidents are reported worldwide, so the extent of anti-Semitism is much higher than what is known and reported in the media."
Forer added, "The organizations around the world are waving a flag and asking for the help of the Israeli government. We need to impose sanctions and a way of legal action against an Israeli who disseminates inciting content against us around the world."
Prof. Dina Porat, head of the Kantor Center at Tel Aviv University, told the committee: "There is Qatari, Saudi and Iranian money that has been poured on institutions of higher education in the United States and they encourage manifestations of anti-Semitism against Jews and Israel. According to our studies, every 80 seconds an antisemitic incident occurs around the world. Israel is fighting against global forces that encourage hatred towards Judaism and Israel; the struggle against them needs to be more institutionalized."
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